Rochester Juneteenth Festival expands to two days with Danielle Ponder
Rochester’s juneteenth festival will stretch across two days on June 19-20, and local soul and R&B artist Danielle Ponder is set to perform on the second day. The expanded schedule puts both days at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park at Chestnut and Court streets.
Festival coordinator Nikia Washington said, “Juneteenth is more than a holiday. It's a testament to resilience, freedom and the strength of people who never gave up,” and added, “And here in Rochester, we show up for that, and we always have.” The first day falls on June 19th and runs from noon to 5 p.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park
The first day will include an elders circle, education on the history and significance of Juneteenth, performers, and entertainment. The second day runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a parade at 11 a.m. at Main and State streets before it moves down East Avenue and then Chestnut Street to the park.
That second day also adds rock climbing, face painting, haircuts, local food, and vendors. The festival details were announced Wednesday during a news conference that included drumming by Nehast Kawaida and a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Jess BU.
Greater Rochester MLK Commission
The Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Jr. Commission and Rochester Area Community Foundation are partnering on this year’s event, which carries the theme “Beloved Community.” Simeon Banister said, “Our ability as a community to make progress, whether that's policy or otherwise, is predicated on its people,” and added, “We're going to have to think differently about some of the economic arrangements that our community is confronting.”
Banister also said the community will need to think differently about how it connects with one another and uses cultural moments to mobilize itself so it can transform Rochester and project that work into other communities. Rochester’s Juneteenth Festival has been held for more than two decades, and more information is available at racf.org/juneteenth.
